I How to use astronomical spectra?

[yucheng]

TL;DR Summary

Trying to open a FITS file to view stellar spectra....

As suggested here

http://svocats.cab.inta-csic.es/miles/index.php?action=search

I tried downloading the VOTable, and FITS file (tried opening using Aladin and GIMP). However, when I open the file, I get a single line (I suppose the 2D spectra is contained in a single dimensional array?). Did I open it correctly? Is there any online guide for this? Is there a better way to view the spectra? Would you suggest some guides to using spectroscopic databases in general? Thanks!

 

[phyzguy]

What exactly are you looking for? The PNG file is a graph of the spectrum. The ASCII file is a text file with a table of the flux as a function of wavelength. If you plot those values you will reproduce the PNG file. The FITS file has the same flux vs wavelength data in FITS format.

 

[phyzguy]

I typically open FITS files using the python astropy.io.fits code, but it will give you the same table of flux vs wavelength that is in the ACSII file.

 

[yucheng]

I typically open FITS files using the python astropy.io.fits code, but it will give you the same table of flux vs wavelength that is in the ACSII file.

Looks like I've succeeded using the code from https://astronomy.stackexchange.com...with-stellar-spectra-in-fits-format-in-python